Voltaren® Rapid 25 film-coated tablets

Diclofenac potassium 25 mg

Consumer Medicine Information

WHAT IS IN THIS LEAFLET

This leaflet answers some common questions about Voltaren Rapid 25. It does not contain all the available information. It does not take the place of talking to your pharmacist or doctor. All medicines have risks and benefits. Your pharmacist or doctor will be able to advise you about the risks and benefits of taking Voltaren Rapid 25.

If you have any concerns about taking this medicine, ask your pharmacist or doctor. Keep this leaflet with the medicine. You may need to read it again.

WHAT VOLTAREN RAPID 25 IS USED FOR

Voltaren Rapid 25 relieves pain and reduces inflammation (swelling and redness). It can be used for:

The short-term treatment (up to 1 week) of painful conditions where swelling is a problem such as back or joint pain, dental pain, muscle strains or sprains and tendinitis (e.g. tennis elbow).

The relief of menstrual cramps (period pain).

The relief of migraine headaches. It may also relieve nausea and vomiting you sometimes experience when you have a migraine.

Voltaren Rapid 25 belongs to a family of medicines called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). These medicines can relieve the symptoms of pain and inflammation but they will not cure your condition.

Voltaren Rapid 25 is not addictive.

BEFORE YOU TAKE VOLTAREN RAPID 25

When you must not take it

Do not take Voltaren Rapid 25 if you have an allergy to:

diclofenac (the active ingredient in Voltaren Rapid 25) or any of the other ingredients listed at the end of this leaflet

Many medicines used to treat headache, period pain and other aches and pains contain aspirin or NSAID medicines. If you are not sure if you are taking any of these medicines, ask your pharmacist. Symptoms of an allergic reaction to these medicines may include:

asthma, wheezing or shortness of breath

swelling of the face, lips or tongue which may cause difficulty in swallowing or breathing

hives, itching or skin rash

fainting

Unless a doctor has told you to, do not use Voltaren Rapid during the first 6 months of pregnancy.

Do not use at all during the last three months of pregnancy.

If you are allergic to aspirin or NSAID medicines and take Voltaren Rapid 25, these symptoms may be severe.

Do not take Voltaren Rapid 25 if at the present time you have an ulcer (gastric or duodenal) or other stomach disorders, or bleeding from the stomach or bowel. If you take it, your stomach problem may become worse.

Do not take Voltaren Rapid 25 if you have impaired kidney function or heart failure.

Do not take Voltaren Rapid 25 if you are in the last 3 months of pregnancy.

Do not take Voltaren Rapid 25 after the expiry date printed on the pack. It may have no effect at all, or worse, an entirely unexpected effect if you take it after the expiry date.

Do not take Voltaren Rapid 25 if the foil seal over the tablets has been broken or shows signs of tampering. In that case, return it to your pharmacist.

Do not give this medicine to a child under 14 years of age. Voltaren Rapid 25 is not recommended for use in children under 14 years of age, as there is not enough information on its use in children under that age.

If you are not sure whether you should start taking Voltaren Rapid 25, talk to your pharmacist or doctor.

Before you start to take it

Tell your pharmacist or doctor if you are allergic to any other medicines, foods, dyes or preservatives. He/she will want to know if you are prone to allergies.

Tell your pharmacist or doctor if, in the past, you have ever had:

ulcers (gastric or duodenal)

severe attacks of indigestion or other stomach trouble

diseases of the bowel (e.g. Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis)

bleeding from your rectum (back passage)

Tell your pharmacist or doctor if you have any of these health problems/medical conditions at the present time:

heart disease

kidney disease

liver disease

high blood pressure

a tendency to bleed or other blood problems such as anaemia

asthma

Your pharmacist or doctor may want to take special precautions if you have any of these conditions.

Tell your pharmacist or doctor if you have an infection at the present time. If you take Voltaren Rapid 25 while you have an infection, some of the signs of the infection may be hidden (pain, fever, swelling, redness). You may think, mistakenly, that you are better or that the infection is not serious.

Tell your pharmacist or doctor if you are pregnant, intend to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding. Like most NSAID medicines, Voltaren Rapid 25 is not recommended to be used during pregnancy or when breast-feeding. Your pharmacist or doctor will discuss with you the benefits and risks of taking it.

If you have not told your pharmacist or doctor about any of these things, tell him/her before you take Voltaren Rapid 25.

Taking other medicines

Tell your pharmacist or doctor if you are taking any other medicines, including any that you buy without a prescription from a pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop.

Some medicines that are important to mention include:

diclofenac, aspirin, salicylates, other anti-inflammatory medicines or other medicines for pain relief

How much to take

For most painful conditions: The usual dose is 2 tablets initially, followed by either 1 or 2 tablets at 8 hourly intervals. In milder cases, as well as in children over 14 years old, 1 to 2 tablets initially, followed by 1 tablet at 8 hourly intervals, is usually enough.

For menstrual pain (period pain): The usual dose is 2 tablets at the first sign of symptoms. You may take 2 tablets up to three times daily for the next few days as required.

For migraine: The usual dose is 2 tablets at the first sign of a migraine attack. If the pain is not relieved within 2 hours, a further 1 to 2 tablets may be taken. After that dose, you must wait at least 4 hours before taking any more Voltaren Rapid 25.

Do not take more than 8 tablets in 24 hours, for relief of any of the above conditions.

For migraine attacks, do not take more than 8 tablets even if you have more than one migraine attack within that 24 hour period.

If symptoms persist or worsen, see your doctor to ensure that they are not due to a serious illness. The use of Voltaren Rapid 25 could mask potentially serious infections.

How to take it

Swallow the tablets with a full glass of liquid. They will work more quickly if you take them at least half an hour before meals or two hours after meals. But, if they upset your stomach, you can take them with food.

Do not lie down for about 15 to 30 minutes after taking the tablets. This helps them reach your stomach quickly and prevents throat irritation, which could lead to problems with swallowing.

How long to take it

Do not take Voltaren Rapid 25 for more than a few days at a time or for longer than your pharmacist or doctor has told you to. It is usually taken for a short time only. For menstrual cramps (period pain), the tablets are usually taken during each period as soon as cramps begin and continued for a few days until the pain goes away.

If you forget to take it

If it is almost time for your next dose (e.g. within 2 or 3 hours), skip the dose you missed and take the next dose when you are meant to.

Otherwise, take it as soon as you remember, and then go back to taking it as you would normally.

Do not take a double dose to make up for the one that you missed.

If you are not sure what to do, ask your pharmacist or doctor.

If you have trouble remembering when to take your medicine, ask your pharmacist for some hints.

If you take too much (Overdose)

Immediately telephone your doctor or Poisons Information Centre (telephone 13 11 26), or go to Accident and Emergency at your nearest hospital if you think that you or anyone else may have taken too much Voltaren Rapid 25. Do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning. Keep the telephone numbers for these places handy.

WHILE YOU ARE TAKING VOLTAREN RAPID 25

Things you must do

If you become pregnant while taking Voltaren Rapid 25, tell your pharmacist or doctor immediately. He/she can discuss with you the risks of using it while you are pregnant.

If you are about to be started on any new medicine, remind your pharmacist and doctor that you are taking Voltaren Rapid 25.

Take Voltaren Rapid 25 exactly as directed by your pharmacist or doctor. If you do not follow these instructions, your condition may not improve or you may have unwanted side effects.

If, for any reason, you have not taken your medicine exactly as directed or as described in this leaflet, tell your pharmacist or doctor. Otherwise, he/she may think that it was not effective and change your treatment unnecessarily.

If you feel the medicine is not helping, tell your pharmacist or doctor. This will help him/her to determine the best treatment for you.

If you are going to have surgery, make sure the surgeon and the anaesthetist know that you are taking Voltaren Rapid 25. NSAID medicines can slow down blood clotting.

If you get an infection while taking Voltaren Rapid 25, tell your doctor. This medicine may hide some of the signs of an infection (pain, fever, swelling, redness). You may think, mistakenly, that you are better or that the infection is not serious.

Tell any other doctor, dentist or pharmacist who treats you that you are taking Voltaren Rapid 25.

Things you must not do

Do not take any medicines used to treat arthritis while you are taking Voltaren Rapid 25 without first telling your doctor or pharmacist.

This includes:

aspirin (also called ASA or acetylsalicylic acid)

other salicylates

other forms of Voltaren or Voltaren Rapid

any other NSAID medicine

If you take these medicines together with Voltaren Rapid 25, they may cause unwanted effects. If you need to take something for headache or fever, it is usually okay to take paracetamol. If you are not sure, ask your pharmacist or doctor.

Do not use Voltaren Rapid 25 to treat any other complaints, unless your pharmacist or doctor says you can.

Do not give this medicine to anyone else, even if their condition seems to be similar to yours.

Things to be careful of

Be careful driving, operating machinery or doing jobs that require you to be alert until you know how Voltaren Rapid 25 affects you. As with other NSAID medicines, Voltaren Rapid 25 may cause dizziness, drowsiness or blurred vision in some people. If you have any of these symptoms, do not drive or do anything else that could be dangerous.

SIDE EFFECTS

Tell your pharmacist or doctor as soon as possible if you do not feel well while you are taking Voltaren Rapid 25. This medicine helps most people, but it may have unwanted side effects in a few people. All medicines have side effects. Sometimes they are serious, most of the time they are not. You may need medical treatment if you get some of the side effects.

If you get an allergic reaction stop taking Voltaren Rapid and see your doctor immediately.

If you are over 65 years old, you should be especially careful while taking this medicine. Report any side effects promptly to your pharmacist or doctor.

As people grow older, they are more likely to get side effects from medicines.

Do not be alarmed by this list of possible side effects. You may not experience any of them. Ask your pharmacist or doctor to answer any questions you may have.

Tell your pharmacist or doctor if you notice any of the following and they worry you:

Australian Registration Number

AUST R 42942

Published by MIMS January 2014

Consumers should be aware that the information provided by the Consumer Medicines Information (CMI) search (CMI Search) is for information purposes only and consumers should continue to obtain professional advice from a qualified healthcare professional regarding any condition for which they have searched for CMI. CMIs are provided by MIMS Australia. CMI is supplied by the relevant pharmaceutical company for each consumer medical product. All copyright and responsibility for CMI is that of the relevant pharmaceutical company. MIMS Australia uses its best endeavours to ensure that at the time of publishing, as indicated on the publishing date for each resource (e.g. Published by MIMS/myDr January 2007), the CMI provided was complete to the best of MIMS Australia's knowledge. The CMI and the CMI Search are not intended to be used by consumers to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or for any therapeutic purpose. Dr Me Pty Limited, its servants and agents shall not be responsible for the continued currency of the CMI, or for any errors, omissions or inaccuracies in the CMI and/or the CMI Search whether arising from negligence or otherwise or from any other consequence arising there from.

This web site is intended for Australian residents and is not a substitute for independent professional advice. Information and interactions contained in this Web site are for information purposes only and are not intended to be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Further, the accuracy, currency and completeness of the information available on this Web site cannot be guaranteed. Dr Me Pty Ltd, its affiliates and their respective servants and agents do not accept any liability for any injury, loss or damage incurred by use of or reliance on the information made available via or through myDr whether arising from negligence or otherwise. See Privacy Policy and Disclaimer.